Department for Transport

Railways: Safety

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the policy of the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) and of the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) on the circumstances in which Driver-Only Operation can safely be implemented; and whether they have had discussions with RSSB and ORR on that issue.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Trains where the driver has responsibility for all aspects of operation, including the doors (known in the industry as ‘Driver Only Operation’) have been in service in Great Britain for over 30 years. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR), in its role as the independent railway safety regulator, has scrutinised this approach and is satisfied that, with suitable equipment, proper procedures and competent staff in place, it is a safe method of working. A number of projects have been published by RSSB on various aspects of Driver Only Operation on passenger trains. Its research has concluded that, when properly managed, there are no increased risks from dispatching a train without a guard being present. Department for Transport officials regularly meet with ORR and RSSB representatives to discuss a variety of railway safety issues including Driver Only Operation.

Railways: Freight

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they intend to publish their latest rail freight strategy.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government will publish its Rail Freight Strategy in due course.

Level Crossings

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they plan to implement the recommendations made by the Law Commission in 2013 regarding level crossing legislation.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Department for Transport is close to finalising its response to the Law Commission’s recommendations on the reform of level crossing legislation. This is a complex area and it has been necessary to explore all the available options in detail. Whilst this has taken time, I am confident that we will be able to come forward with proposals for a cohesive package of improvements shortly.

Volkswagen

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the investigations into diesel emissions by Volkswagen vehicles conducted by prosecutors in Germany and the US Department of Justice, what action they are taking to pursue any compensation and recompense that may be sought by UK consumers, and whether they plan to support any joint legal action against Volkswagen.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Prosecuting authorities from across Europe are liaising and coordinating their investigations through Eurojust. The Department for Transport is engaged in this process and is considering all possible options to reach a resolution on this issue.

Official Cars: Parliamentary Estate

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance they give to drivers of ministerial cars waiting for passengers on the Parliamentary Estate regarding idling engines, in the light of Rule 123 of the Highway Code.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Guidance is given to Government Car Service drivers that they are governed by the same laws as all other road users and that they must have read and understood all sections of the Highway Code applicable to them. Specific reminders are sent out regularly about parking and waiting on the Parliamentary Estate and not to leave the engine idling.

Railways

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to ensure that the rail sector will be compliant with the Consumer Rights Act 2015 by the earliest possible date.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It is for the rail industry to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Consumer Rights Act when the services provisions of the Act come into force. Train companies, working with the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), are currently reviewing their working practices to ensure that this is the case. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is a statutory enforcement body for the Consumer Rights Act for this sector. The Department for Transport, ATOC and the ORR are working together to co-ordinate industry wide improvements in the way that rail passenger compensation schemes are publicised and administered. The reasons for seeking the temporary 12 month exemption were published on 7 July 2016 in the Government’s response to the consultation on applying the Consumer Rights Act to the transport sector, which is attached for ease of reference.



Consumer Rights
(PDF Document, 336.57 KB)

Railways

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the earliest date by which they expect the rail sector to be compliant with the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they are seeking an additional exemption from the Consumer Rights Act 2015 for the rail sector, as announced on 4 April, and what assessment they have made of the impact of doing so on the rights of passengers.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It is for the rail industry to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Consumer Rights Act when the services provisions of the Act come into force. Train companies, working with the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), are currently reviewing their working practices to ensure that this is the case. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is a statutory enforcement body for the Consumer Rights Act for this sector. The Department for Transport, ATOC and the ORR are working together to co-ordinate industry wide improvements in the way that rail passenger compensation schemes are publicised and administered. The reasons for seeking the temporary 12 month exemption were published on 7 July 2016 in the Government’s response to the consultation on applying the Consumer Rights Act to the transport sector, which is attached for ease of reference.



Consumer Rights
(PDF Document, 336.57 KB)

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to improve the transparency of decisions taken by Local Economic Partnership (LEP) members, such as requiring registers of members' interests or the publication of a conflict of interest policy.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government is clear that Local Enterprise Partnerships should operate transparently: giving people confidence that decisions made are proper, based on evidence, and not biased by conflicts of interest. How each Local Enterprise Partnership is achieving this is set out in their own local assurance framework, and verified by their accountable local authority. We are reviewing every framework as part of the criteria for the current round of growth deals, and again through annual performance conversations with each Partnership.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

South Sudan and Sudan

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the South Sudan Troika plans to issue a comprehensive statement on its priorities in Sudan and South Sudan.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK, along with our Troika partners (the United States and Norway), has been active in supporting efforts to resolve the crisis in South Sudan. This includes working with the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development and regional partners.We are deeply concerned about the recent fighting and will continue to work with our troika and regional partners to resolve the crisis.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about reports of new rules of engagement for Israeli police allowing the use of live ammunition in response to stone throwing.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: While we have not made representations to the Government of Israel on this specific issue, we have an ongoing dialogue with the Israeli authorities in order to understand their rules of engagement and express our concerns where necessary.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding reports of the confiscation and sinking of fishing boats by Israeli forces in the past three months.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Whilst we have not raised this specific issue with the Government of Israel, officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have expressed our concern previously over the Israel Defence Forces' use of live fire against fishermen and also about the confiscation of their boats.

Islamic State

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what hard evidence they have collected that Daesh is using small commercial drones for surveillance and for conveying explosives.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government has a range of material, including images, that provides evidence that Daesh has used small, commercially available unmanned aerial vehicles in Syria and Iraq to extend their surveillance capability, produce propaganda material and carry small improvised explosive devices.

Department for International Development

Syria: Armed Conflict

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the humanitarian needs of the civilians living in the rebel-held areas of Aleppo, and of reports that those civilians are facing starvation.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK is at the forefront of the humanitarian response to the Syria crisis. We have pledged over £2.3 billion to date, our largest ever response to a humanitarian crisis. The Syrian regime and Kurdish forces have cut the main access route into opposition-held eastern Aleppo City. The UN reports that up to 300,000 people are trapped there, with humanitarian assistance unable to get in. The UN and humanitarian partners have prepositioned some food supplies and rationing of supplies has begun. Further life-saving aid is needed urgently. In other areas of Syria prolonged denial of humanitarian access has led to cases of acute malnutrition and, in some cases, starvation. There is no excuse for not allowing humanitarian supplies into east Aleppo City and doing so is a violation of International Humanitarian Law. The Syrian Regime approved the UN’s request to deliver humanitarian supplies to East Aleppo City as part of its July humanitarian convoy plan. We call on the Regime to live up to this commitment. We are working with the UN and other humanitarian partners to find ways to alleviate the situation.

Rwanda: Health Services

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they are supporting the government of Rwanda in its work to provide reproductive health choices to women and girls in Rwanda.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: DFID is supporting the Rwandan Ministry of Health to implement a Girls Empowerment Programme which is enabling 92,000 girls over three years to meet in safe spaces across the country. This programme is closely aligned with the Government of Rwanda’s own Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy. Girls are mentored and guided through a curriculum that includes sexual and reproductive health, prevention of violence and guidance on staying safe and healthy. The programme also includes ‘learning journeys’ during which girls have the opportunity to visit local health centres and to learn about the services that are available to support them, in particular around adolescent sexual and reproductive health. Interim findings show that the programme is successfully building girls’ knowledge around sexual and reproductive health, as well as giving them the confidence and awareness of how to access more information and services.

Rwanda: Rape

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they are supporting victims of rape in Rwanda.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: DFID places the empowerment of girls and women at the heart of all its programmes in Rwanda spending £4.6 million over the four years 2014-2018 on a programme aimed specifically at combatting the triggers of gender based violence. The Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey reported a 6.7% decrease between 2010 and 2015 in the number of women experiencing physical violence.

South Sudan: Armed Conflict

Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the extent of the humanitarian crisis resulting from the conflict in South Sudan.

Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what help and support they are providing to deal with humanitarian issues in South Sudan.

Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether there is further need for support in South Sudan and of the form that it should take.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Prior to the eruption of fighting in Juba in early July 2016, the humanitarian situation in South Sudan was already dire, with unprecedented levels of food insecurity and one in five people displaced. In the aftermath of the recent crisis, we assess that the situation is now worse than it has ever been since independence in 2011. Six million people, over half the population, need urgent humanitarian assistance. The UK is the second largest bilateral humanitarian donor, contributing £242 million since the start of the conflict in December 2013. In December 2015, DFID approved a significant five year (2015-2020) humanitarian programme for South Sudan. This programme has been structured to enable DFID and our partners to respond to rising or changing needs. In addition it is likely to prove necessary to scale up urgent humanitarian assistance in order to maintain vital food and nutrition supply lines, and reduce the risk of famine. We will also continue to ensure that South Sudan’s most vulnerable people are able to access vital health and education services. Our humanitarian partners, including the International Committee of the Red Cross and UNICEF (who both receive DFID funding) were able to mobilise responses for those displaced by the recent fighting in Juba, including the provision of water, food and health services. Other partners are continuing to operate outside Juba, supporting urgent health, protection and food security interventions.

South Sudan: Armed Conflict

Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the support and help that Sudan provided to ease the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan by opening its border, allowing refugees to enter Sudan, and reducing the oil levy.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Sudan has facilitated the delivery of emergency humanitarian supplies into South Sudan. In 2014 the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the World Food Programme which has enabled 47,000 metric tons of emergency and nutrition assistance to be delivered to more than 200,000 South Sudanese in the Upper Nile State. There are over 230,000 South Sudanese refugees in Sudan. Until March the government of Sudan allowed refugees to move freely, work, and live in host communities, but South Sudanese arriving since then have been classed as ‘foreigners’, thereby restricting their movements within Sudan. We are not aware of any formal agreement by Sudan to reduce the payments it levies on South Sudan’s oil exports.

Department for Education

English Baccalaureate

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures are in place to ensure that there is an adequate supply of history, geography, and language teachers to meet the forecast demand stemming from the introduction of the English Baccalaureate.

Lord Nash: We have more teachers in our schools than ever before and the number of teachers has kept pace with changing numbers of pupils. There are more than 456,000 teachers in schools throughout England – up more than 15,000 since 2010. Teaching continues to be a popular profession with more than 14,000 former teachers coming back to the classroom in the last year. We recognise that as schools increase their entry rates to English Baccalaureate (EBacc) subjects there will be more demand for specialist teachers, particularly language teachers. That is why we are spending over £1.3 billion up to 2020 to attract new teachers into the profession including continuing to offer teacher training bursaries in history, geography and languages to make sure that we continue to attract the brightest graduates. We have recently announced the expansion of the teacher subject specialism training to include modern foreign languages. This investment in training the next generation of teachers clearly demonstrates the political will we have to make sure that all schools are able to recruit the teachers they need.

English Baccalaureate

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultation took place (1) before the introduction of the English Baccalaureate in 2010, and (2) before the decision in 2015 to make the measure mandatory; and whether the results of those consultations will be published.

Lord Nash: The 2010 schools white paper, The Importance of Teaching, set out that the proportion of pupils achieving the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) would be published in the school performance tables. The Government’s consultation on implementing the EBacc ran between 3 November 2015 and 29 January 2016. The Government response to the consultation will be published in due course. Both papers can be found on GOV.UK and have been attached to this answer.



Implementing_the_Ebacc
(PDF Document, 897.2 KB)




The_Importance_of_Teaching
(PDF Document, 2.56 MB)

Ministry of Justice

Berwyn Prison

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what provisions are being made at HM Prison Berwyn to meet the reasonable requirements of Welsh-speaking prisoners.

Lord Keen of Elie: It is a requirement that all staff at HMP Berwyn must show an understanding of the importance of the Welsh language.All prisoners at HMP Berwyn will have access to welsh speaking staff and all material will be bilingual. To help support this, we are currently arranging courses for our staff to ensure they have a good understanding of Wales and working in the Welsh context, which includes a section on language.

Ministry of Defence

Trident Missiles

Baroness Jolly: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the in-service date for the UK Trident Mark 4A nuclear warhead; what are the estimated costs of the Mark 4A programme; and what progress has been made to date in delivering that programme.

Earl Howe: I am withholding details of the date of the Mk 4A's component's entry into service, progress to date and the cost of the programme, for the purpose of safeguarding national security.

Nuclear Weapons

Baroness Jolly: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what new arrangements they plan to introduce for the delivery of the Nuclear Warhead Capability Sustainment Programme, and when those arrangements will enter into force.

Earl Howe: I refer the noble Baroness to the Written Ministerial Statement made by the Secretary of State for Defence (Michael Fallon) on 21 April 2016 (HCWS689). The contract between the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the Atomic Weapons Establishment Management Limited (AWEML) has been reviewed. As a result of the review, the MOD has greater control over the programme, while ensuring that AWE continues to deliver value for money for the taxpayer. The contract between the MOD and AWEML also provides the opportunity for higher performance incentives, as well as reductions if targets are not met. These arrangements are now in force.



Atomic Weapons Establishment Contract.
(Word Document, 13.26 KB)

AWE

Baroness Jolly: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the current anticipated outturn costs and in-service dates for (1) Project Mensa, and (2) Project Pegasus, at the Atomic Weapons Establishment.

Baroness Jolly: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much contingency funding has been allocated for (1) Project Mensa, and (2) Project Pegasus, at the Atomic Weapons Establishment.

Earl Howe: The anticipated outturn costs cannot be provided. The current approved costs and in-service dates for Project Mensa and Project Pegasus are shown below. In-service dates are shown in bandings to avoid prejudice to national security and defence. The Main Gate business cases for Projects Mensa and Pegasus include estimates for risk and uncertainty, which are contained within the approved costs.  ProjectIn-service periodApproved cost (£million)Project Mensa (warhead assembly/disassembly)2016-20734Project Pegasus (uranium components)2016-20634

Libya: Military Intervention

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether UK troops are now present in Misrata, Libya.

Earl Howe: Part of our support to the political process in Libya includes providing military and diplomatic advisers. We cannot go into detail about these engagements for security reasons.

Home Office

Deportation

Lord Green of Deddington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many immigration offenders, excluding failed asylum seekers and foreign national offenders, have been removed in each of the last five years for which figures are available, and how many of those first arrived in the UK on a student visa.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics on the number of persons removed or departed voluntarily from the UK within Immigration Statistics on the GOV.UK website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release.The information requested regarding Foreign National Offenders and total returns is available in the tables attached.The Home Office is unable to provide data as requested for those who first arrived in the UK on a student visa as this would involve cross checking databases and incur disproportionate costs.



Table 1 - PQ HL1143
(Excel SpreadSheet, 77.5 KB)




Table 2 - PQ HL1143 
(Excel SpreadSheet, 39 KB)

Free Movement of Labour

Lord Green of Deddington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when Directive 2014/54/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on measures facilitating the exercise of rights conferred on workers in the context of freedom of movement for workers will be transposed into UK law.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The UK already fulfils the obligations set out in the Directive and these are broadly reflected in our domestic laws.

Immigrants: Disability

Baroness Manzoor: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people who are classed as having a disability have been (1) deported, and (2) detained for immigration purposes, in each of the last 10 years.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The information requested is not held by the department.

Female Genital Mutilation

Lord Maclennan of Rogart: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the number of victims of female genital mutilation in each of the four nations of the UK; and what steps they are taking to eradicate that practice throughout the UK.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The most recent NHS data released on 7 June showed 1,242 newly identified cases of FGM within the NHS between January and March 2016. 98% of cases were in adult women, and in the vast majority of these the FGM took place in Asia or Africa.A 2015 prevalence study part funded by the Home Office estimated that approximately 137,000 women and girls in England and Wales are affected by FGM and 60,000 girls were born to women who had undergone it.We have significantly strengthened the law through the Serious Crime Act 2015, including introducing FGM Protection Orders to protect girls at risk, and a mandatory reporting duty requiring specified professionals to report known cases in under 18s to the police.We are improving the response of professionals through the Department of Health’s £4m FGM prevention programme, up to £2m from the Department for Education to support the Barnardo’s and Local Government Association’s National FGM Centre which is strengthening the social care response; and updated multi-agency guidance which we published on the 1 April and which is statutory for the first time.FGM is a devolved matter and we work closely with the Devolved Administrations in taking forward this work.

Refugees: Syria

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Keen of Elie on 12 July (HL Deb, col 124), how many Syrian refugees have been settled in each of the 71 local authorities so far.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Progress on resettlement in each local authority is indicated in quarterly immigration statistics. The last set of statistics, published on 26 May 2016, showed that 1,602 Syrians were resettled in the UK under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement scheme between October 2015 and March 2016 and sets out how many were located in each local authority.

Refugees

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice they provide to refugees before they are settled in the UK.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The UN High Commission for Refugees counsels refugees before they are resettled to the UK.Additional advice is provided through cultural orientation sessions with practical information about life in the UK and rights and responsibilities.

Refugees: English Language

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what UK-led English language classes are available in the refugee camps in Calais, Dunkirk and Turkey.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The provision of services in the migrant camps in France and Turkey is the responsibility of the respective Governments.

Refugees: Syria

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their programme and timetable for the reception of 20,000 Syrian refugees by 2020.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We continue to work with local authorities and International Partners to deliver the Government’s commitment to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees by the end of this Parliament. We are on track to do this. The number resettled in a particular period will depend on a range of factors including the flow of referrals from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the availability of suitable accommodation and support in the UK. Progress on resettlement is indicated in quarterly immigration statistics.

Refugees: Syria

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to establish a working group of voluntary organisations and officials to help the 20,000 Syrian refugees to settle successfully in the UK.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Refugee Resettlement Programme has established a strategic engagement group consisting of representatives from the programme, NGOs, the Syrian diaspora and service providers for resettled refugees. The group meets quarterly and has a number of objectives including providing targeted expertise that will help inform policy and operational delivery of the UK’s resettlement routes and promoting a better understanding of the factors that contribute to successful resettlement. The group is chaired jointly by the Resettlement Programme and the Refugee Council.

Offences against Children: Rotherham

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 27 June (HL Deb, col 1352), what assessment they have made of whether, when referring to cases such as the Rotherham sexual abuse case, it is more accurate and appropriate to refer to the perpetrators as "Muslim" or "Islamist", rather than as "Asian".

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Tackling cases of child sexual exploitation, including those that have occurred in Rotherham, is a top priority for this Government. People who abuse children must be stopped – their race, age or gender is irrelevant.Child sexual exploitation is not exclusive to any single culture, community, race or religion.The previous Home Secretary launched the report ‘Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation’ in March 2015. This report sets out a national response to the failures we have seen in Rotherham and elsewhere, where children were let down by the very people who were responsible for protecting them.